When the Bough Breaks
' |image= |series= |production=40271-118 |producer(s)= |story= |script=Hannah Louise Shearer |director=Kim Manners |imdbref=tt0708841 |guests=Jerry Hardin as Radue, Brenda Strong as Rashella, Jandi Swanson as Katie, Paul Lambert as Melian, Ivy Bethune as Duana, Dierk Torsek as Dr. Bernard, Michèle Marsh as Leda, Dan Mason as Accolan, Philip N. Waller as'Harry', Connie Danese as Toya, Jessica Bova and Vanessa Bova as Alexandra |previous_production=Home Soil |next_production=Coming of Age |episode=TNG A17 |airdate=13 February 1988 |previous_release=Too Short a Season |next_release=Home Soil |story_date(s)=Stardates 41509.1-41512.9 |previous_story=Home Soil |next_story=Coming of Age }} Summary The Enterprise enters the Epsilon Mynos system, searching for the legendary world of Aldea. The planet de-cloaks, and reveals itself to the ship. The Aldeans beam down Commander Riker, Counselor Troi, and Chief Medical Officer Crusher to the planet. The Aldeans explain that they have been unable to bear children for many years and revealed themselves to the Enterprise in hopes they could trade their advanced technology for some of the Enterprise's children so that they can re-populate their world. Riker refuses and the crew is returned to the Enterprise. Simultaneously, seven children, including young Wesley Crusher, are taken down to the planet protected by a planetary energy shield that the crew of the Enterprise are unable to penetrate. While the Aldean elders attempt to integrate the children into their society, Wesley is shown the "Custodian", an ancient computer system that the Aldeans rely on but do not understand. As Captain Picard attempts to negotiate with the Aldeans, they briefly allow Dr. Crusher to reunite with her son on the planet. Wesley hints about the Custodian to her, while she secretly passes him a tricorder to scan the Aldeans. After Picard fails to get the Aldeans to agree to the children's return, they fire an energy weapon that sends the Enterprise three days away from Aldea at maximum warp. The Aldeans warn that they can send the Enterprise an impossibly far distance if they refuse to cooperate. During the return trip, Dr. Crusher reviews the scanner results and finds the Aldeans are suffering from radiation poisoning, which has harmed their reproductive capabilities but can be reversed if the source is discovered. On arrival back at the planet, Picard orders the crew to try to find a way through the planet's shield while he restarts negotiations. Wesley, aware the Enterprise is in orbit, arranges for the children to passively resist. When the Aldeans request Picard's help to resolve the issue with the children, the crew finds a way to beam through the shield, allowing Commander Riker and Lt. Commander Data to sneak onto the planet. Data manages to disable the Custodian, disrupting the Aldean's transporter and planetary shield. Dr. Crusher explains to the Aldeans that their shield has weakened the ozone layer of their planet, exposing the inhabitants to ultraviolet radiation that has left them unable to bear children. The radiation would likely have the same effects on the children from the Enterprise. Without the planetary shield, the ozone layer will naturally return, allowing the Aldeans to reproduce again. The Aldeans recognize the error of their ways and return the children to the Enterprise. They accept Starfleet's help to correct their ancient systems and recognize that they will have to forgo their invisibility to continue their society. Errors and Explanations Internet Movie Database Continuity # When the Enterprise is hit by the Aldea repulsor beam and is spinning out of control the main bridge alert indicator behind Riker (and beside Worf) is flashing at Red Alert (at the same time as the audible klaxon) while the other alert indicator behind Dr Crusher is still indicating Yellow Alert. The second indicator may have been damaged. # The Aldeans abduct 7 children, yet (at around 13 mins) there are only 6 children in the following scenes. Harry is missing. He is either out of shot, or in another room. Factual errors # The intruder alarm goes off well before the Aldeans beam aboard. It was probably triggered by the targeting system for the Aldean transporter. # Data explains that the Aldeans cloak works by bending light rays around the planet. This would mean that no light or other electromagnetic energy could reach the planet's surface leaving it in complete darkness and completely frozen. It would be so cold even the planet's atmosphere would freeze and fall to the ground like snow. This would also not hide the planet's gravitational field, which would give its location and clearly as if there were no cloak at all. The Aldean technology could be used to generate artificial light and heat, while either masking the gravitational field, or altering it to resemble a deadly navigational hazard. Incorrectly regarded as goofs # Seven children alone would do nothing for thousands of barren Aldeans. Their plan may be based on desperation rather than reason. Plot Oversights # After the Aldeans kidnap the children, Picard tells Troi to get the parents together for a meeting. The subsequent meeting features Picard, Troi, five single parents, and one couple. Since seven children are taken by the Aldeans, we must assume that two of the children were siblings. That does not explain why five of the six families represented are single-parent families. ls this the creators’ view of the future? The single parents could be widows and/or widowers. # Do all the children of the Federation have parents? Has the coming of the twenty-fourth century done away with orphans? ln other words, why doesn't Picard bring up the prospect ot adoption to satisfy the childless Aldeans? Or do the Aldeans only want to hand-pick their children from the best and the brightest on the Enterprise? Picard is unwilling to surrender children for whom he is ultimately resposible. # lt must be noted that several nit-pickers found it incredible that the Aldeans could possess such advanced technology and not realize what it was doing to their ozone layer. - Radue has a sudden change of heart once he sees the massive generator that serves as power source for Aldea. Moments before, he grouses around-calling Picard and his people liars. Then the door opens and the little group walks into the huge chamber (which is done very nicely, by the way), and instantly he starts rambling about how their technology has harmed them. Many Aldeans may be unwilling to accept the truth. Equipment Oddities # At least the Federation has transporters with capabilities similar to those of the Aldeans. When the Aldeans beam Riker, Troi, and Crusher back to the ship, the trio begins the trip seated and ends it standing up. Very impressive. (The Enterprise‘s transporter does exactly the same thing to Lwaxana Troi in Ménage à Troi) Possibly a safety measure. # During the negotiations tor the children, Picard convinces Radue to allow Dr. Crusher to speak with Wesley. When she does, she places the medical wand from her tricorder in his palm so he can covertly scan Radue‘s wife. Very conveniently, the wand fails to emit its normal warble while Wesley waves it back and forth. The warble is probably produced by the tricorder itself. Nit Central # Chris Thomas on Wednesday, March 15, 2000 - 7:29 am: OK, the planet is cloaked. What's stopping starships from flying into it? Mark Swinton on Thursday, March 16, 2000 - 11:49 am: Maybe the Aldeans have an automated warning system that feeds information to starship computers, making it look as though there is a subspace instability ahead and forcing them to make a course correction. Either that, or the Aldeans give approaching ships a minor jolt with the repulser beam to knock them out of the way. Notes Sources Category:Episodes Category:The Next Generation